


It's an Investment

by imaginarycircus



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Bitty in raptures, Jack being a sly boots, M/M, and making out with high end ovens, shopping at Sur La Table is an act of love, the allure of kitchen ware
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:52:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginarycircus/pseuds/imaginarycircus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack hasn't bought anything for his kitchen in Providence because he wants Bitty to pick everything out. That way he'll feel right at home when he moves in, but they haven't talked about that yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's an Investment

**Author's Note:**

> archiving here from tumblr where it was randomly spewed [in response to this post.](https://imaginarycircus.tumblr.com/post/143493225584/des-zimbits-on-august-3-2015-bitty-is-in)

In his new kitchen in Providence, Jack has a microwave, one 8 inch frying pan, three forks, three spoons, two knives, two bowls, and a coffee maker. He knows he can buy more things, but he needs to look as inept and pathetic as possible for his plan to succeed. The first time Bitty visits he is awed by the kitchen for about two seconds and then is so appalled that he can’t sleep. Jack takes him for a big froofy latte early the next morning.

“I know I need more stuff, but I’m not even sure where to start.” Jack speaks mournfully into his cup of black coffee, because he is on a mission. “I don’t know. Could you make me a list or something?”

Bitty has his phone out and in fewer than 10 seconds tells Jack to get back in the car. They drive to Providence Place and Jack’s never heard of Sur La Table, but from the way Bitty enters–like a medieval pilgrim entering a cathedral, he knows this is going to work if he doesn’t overplay his hand.

“Wow. Why is this pot so expensive?” Jack flips the tag over on a cobalt blue pot that you could probably deflect bullets with. “And why is it so heavy?”

“Oh, Jack.” Bitty shakes his head fondly. “It’s enamel coated cast iron. Le Creuset makes the best Dutch ovens. They are pricey, but if you take care of them you can hand them down to your grandchildren. It’s an investment.”

Bitty flips the tag to see and pales a little. “I mean you don’t need one today, but a well stocked kitchen should have one.”

Jack snaps a photo. “I’ll take photos of everything and then when I’m ready I’ll know what to get.” He takes photos of food processors and stand mixers and things he would, personally, never need: like tube pans for angel food cake, unless he was living with a mad baker.

Jack is racking up informed opinions on everything from waffle irons to balloon whisks and there’s something so pleasant in specific knowledge. Jack isn’t sure he’ll ever want to microplane ginger, but now he knows that it works beautifully if you freeze the ginger root first. He pretends to let Bitty talk him into buying a 12 piece All Clad set, dishes, flatware, a 9″ Shun Chef’s knife, a Shun bread knife, a blender, cutting boards, a colander, assorted spatulas, wooden spoons, and a Cole & Mason pepper mill, which Bitty says is the best.

At this point they’ve got a dedicated employee helping them and carrying stuff to and fro. Emily has bright red hair and freckles and she’s almost as tall as Jack, but she doesn’t give Jack a second glance, which warms his heart in a weird kind of way. He’s used to getting so much attention he doesn’t want and she is clearly half in love with his tiny, energetic boyfriend. She and Bitty are finishing each others sentences and laughing at words Jack has never heard before and some of them are French. She’s learning all about the Samwell Hockey Team and Bitty is hearing all about RISD.

“Well. I think that’s all we need today,” Bitty says to Emily. The little rat has turned his back on all the baking stuff, pretending he can’t even see it.

“No. Wait. I need a pie thing,” Jack gestures at the bake ware. Bitty pivots slowly to stare at Jack. Emily, sucks in her lips to not laugh.

“Jack. You don’t bake,” Bitty says. He lights up. “Oh! Are you going to start?”

“No. But. Is this the only time you’re going to visit me?” Jack shoves his hands in his pockets and he doesn’t have to act to look sad about that.

“Of course, I’ll visit you.” Bitty has his hands on his hips.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to buy a pie…” he flaps his hand at all the baking stuff. “…thinger. If you’re going to take the commuter rail into South Station and then Amtrak down here…”

“Yeah, I see your point.” Bitty rocks on his heels, but doesn’t move toward the bright stacks of baking dishes. But Emily is onto Jack at this point. She winks at him.

“He’s right. Pie plates weigh a ton. Feel how heavy these are!” Emily starts handing Bitty pie dishes, tart pans, oval baking dishes, and ramekins.

It would make Jack more than sad if Bitty didn’t visit again. The apartment already feels too big and too quiet most of the time. He intends to keep putting things Bitty likes in it until Bitty just refuses to leave. He’ll be a grown up and talk to him about it and not just trap him like some kind of weird dragon hoarding small hockey forwards.

Bitty selects a red stoneware pie dish and Emily adds a second one when Jack mimes at her. With only a little urging, Bitty picks out a tart pan, a French rolling pin, some pie weights, a bench scraper, a digital scale, measuring cups, a pastry cutter, a pie server and he’s reaching for a ceramic blackbird that you apparently stick in the top crust to vent steam, when he draws his hand back. “Well, that’s silly. I don’t need that.”

They are $5 and the least expensive item probably in the whole store, but Jack knows him. Bitty’s emotional Jenga tower will fall if he nudges out this block. So he shrugs. Bitty turns to look at the tottering pile they’ve amassed and is startled into silence. Jack mouths at Emily to grab two pie birds and passes her his credit card while Bitty starts trying to decide what they should put back.

Bitty turns around with his suggestions, but one of Emily’s coworkers has already rung up half their purchases.

“Jack!”

“What?” He smiles more than he should. He’s giving himself away. “You stood in my kitchen last night and yelled that it was criminal to treat it the way I was, like it was any old kitchen. And then you made out with my oven.”

“It’s an Aga, Jack. AN AGA!” Bitty is so outraged. It’s awful that Jacks thinks it’s adorable, right? Yeah. It is.

Emily touches Bitty’s arm and says reverently, “He has an Aga? What color?”

“Claret,” Bitty says. And they both swoon a little. Bitty shakes off his awe and turns on Jack. “You can’t just buy me all this stuff.”

He knows what Bitty means, but he’s got to keep him slightly off kilter. “My contract details were reported on by every news outlet. I can afford it.”

“That’s not what I meant. And you know it.” Bitty softens and steps toward him and Jack sees the opening. “You can’t just buy me all kinds of stuff. We need to set some ground rules. Just so it doesn’t feel creepy.”

Jack takes his shot. He strides over and grabs the big blue Dutch oven and hands it to Emily. “It’s an investment. For future grandchildren.”

It goes right in the net. Bitty covers his mouth and his eyes go glassy. Jack didn’t have to say “our grandchildren.” And it’s kind of too soon to be having those conversations, but Jack’s not a half way kind of guy. He knows how he feels. He’s pretty sure he knows how Bitty feels. Emily is tearing up so he even knows how she feels.

“You are a lucky guy.” And what’s cool is–Emily doesn’t say it to Bitty. She says it to him. Jack knows he is. He says they’ll be back soon. Bitty hugs her and they’ve already followed each other on twitter and posted a selfie. 


End file.
